Back when Einstein was wasting his talents on relativity, most thirsty souls acquired beer in one of two places: a pub or a market.

But what if — prepare for a refreshing, ice-cold blast of brilliance — the pub was in the market?

“This is just another avenue to get people in the door,” supervisor Bradley Sanford described the 7th Ave Pub, which opened last month inside Hillcrest’s Whole Foods Market. “And it’s great for a lot of men who don’t want to do any shopping. They can grab a beer while the wife goes shopping. It’s awesome.”

And maybe, I dunno, like a page from the “Mad Men” Gender Roles Playbook. (Imagine Don Draper knocking back an Arrogant Bastard while Megan picks up the vegan chocolate truffles.) Smart shoppers of any gender may appreciate the pub’s happy hour, weekdays from 4 to 7 p.m. Small plates of seared tuna sashimi, pesto tomato flatbread, Baja-style street tacos and chicken wings are all $5; ditto, flights of four 4-ounce beers.

“That’s the greatest deal in town,” said Sanford, 32.

7th Ave, though, is not the only unexpected place serving brews. Despite its name, Escondido’s Holiday Wine Cellar stocks plenty of beer; quaff your purchases in the downstairs tasting room, or attend the guided beer samplings held there every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.

57 Degrees Wine Bar, meanwhile, pledges that its San Diego Brew Project will debut soon. All the beers here — 31 on tap and more in bottles — will come from local breweries.

As for Whole Foods, the chain maintains pubs inside numerous outlets, each tailored to its neighborhood. The Del Mar store is home to the Trifecta Tavern; La Jolla to Torrey Pints.

At 7th Ave, more than 30 beers are on tap — and most also can be found by shoppers perusing the beer aisles. The First Corollary of this Grand Unified Theory: buy a six-pack in the market, then crack open a few right then and there. “We can open them for you in the pub,” Sanford said, “if you buy them inside the store.”

Like so many items sold at Whole Foods, these beers are vegetarian and vegan. And like the promised San Diego Brew Project lineup, the stress is on local beers.

“They’re fresher than beers that are shipped here,” Sanford said. “It leaves less of a carbon footprint. Drinking local is definitely drinking responsibly.”